Life-belt.



PATBNTED APR. 30, 1907.

A. 6r, E. GAREIS.

LIFE BELT.

APPLIUATION FILED DBO. 3. 1904.

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ANTON GAREIS AND EMILY GAREIS, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

LIFE-BELT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

.iinnlieatien filed December 3, 1904. Serial No. 235,366.

To HJ] whom, t ntf/,y colte/Wut:

Be it known that we, ANTON Garters and EMILY GAREIs, ne GOODMAN, both subjects of Austria, residing at Vienna, in the Province of Lower Austria and Empire of Austria- Hungary, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Life-Belts, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a life belt which may be worn on the body always ready vfor use without causing any discomfort.

This life belt has the form of a closed pipe or hose ring or of a pipe or hose provided with two closed ends. *y

The life belt is inflated by means of the emitted breath or by means of a gas which is developed spontaneously when the belt is brought into water.

The life belt is made vfrom a dense woven fabric, which in dry state lets pass thc air through, but wet becomes sufliciently airtight as the water closes its pores.

The accompanying drawing shows a life belt according to the invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of a part of the same, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sec tional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 of a part of the life belt laid straight out. Figs. 3 and 4 show the cartridge which may be employed for developing spontaneously a gas in the life belt.

The life belt is made `from a fabric free from finish and of sufficient density, which fabric in dry state lets the air pass through so that transpiration of the human body upon which the life belt is worn is not prevented, but which in contact with water becomes suficiently air proof, the entering water closing its pores, so that the life belt may be filled with air or gas.

The life belt hose e, shown inflated in Figs. 1 and 2, of fabric, is made annular or with two closed ends and is worn on the human body in flat state. It is provided with an opening b for blowing in the air, the said opening being arranged on the lower side of the belt. By means of a strip c of fabric sewn to the belt and covering the opening l), a passage is formed which serves to force air into the belt. In the upper part, beyond d, the strip c is sewn to a separate strip of fabric, and the flat channel or hose so formed in this upper part is provided with a connecting piece f to which is attached the flexible pipe g supporting on its end a mouth piece not shown 'm the drawing.

In use Of the belt some water entering through its pores forms a layer r-r and cov? ers the opening l) and prevents the inflated air escaping even when the mouth piece of the inflating pipe is open. liurthcrmore the wet walls of the (lat channel c d are pressed together by action of the air pressure in the belt and the water pressure on the outside, whereby the escaping of the air out of the inflatedbelt is prevented. The pressure of the air in the inflated belt prevents further e'ntering of water through the pores. But in case the fabric of the belt be not dense enough so that water still enters into the same, and the air escapes, forcing in air from time to time will be sufficient to drive out the excess of water and to refund the escaped air.

If the belt is made in greater height, its lateral walls may be sewn together at a convenient numberl of points, as at j, Figs. 1 and 2, for the purpose of giving to the inflated belt sufficient stability in the water.

The belt may be worn either separate, enH circling the human body or it may be connected with a piece of clothing such as for instance a waistcoat or swimming dress. 1f the said piece of clothing is made from a fabric answering the purpose, instead of the belt a bandof the fabric may be sewn to the inside or outside of the garment and the other parts of the belt connected therewith, so that one wall of the belt is formed by the garment itself. p

The life-belt may also be provided with a device for developing gas for the purpose of inflating the life-belt spontaneously when it is brought into water. This device is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The material for developing the gas, for instance carbid of calcium is contained in an annular cylindrical chamber the walls c, l and m of which are perforated. This chamber is surrounded by a greater cylindrical shell n both having a common bottom o. The bottom 0 and the cover p of the outer shell n have cach a central opening. These openings are closed tightly by means of disks g and r of paper or the like, as shown in Fig. 4. The disk g on the lower end of this cartridge is impreg nated with paraflin and held against the bot tom by means of the lflange S of the knob t. This knob is provided with internal windings in which is screwed a rod u passing through the central space of the chamber 7c Z m and guided in a plug c. The rod a passes through the upper paper disk 11 which is faslOO IIO

tened to the cover p and has on its end a disk w the diameter of which is a little smaller than that of the opening in the upper wall Q9.

This cartridge may be arranged in a pocketl like vertical compartment x of the life belt, said compartment having a top and a base opening, the first, y, serving to let the gases developed pass into the life belt proper and the second serving for handling` the knob t. By turning said knob the rod u is drawn down so that the disk w penetrates the paper disk r and water may enter into the device.

Having now described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isl. An inflatable life belt made of fabric which becomes air-proof in wet state, the entering water closing its pores, said life belt l comprising in combination with its side wall an air channel, formed by a strip of said faby ric sewn to the side wall and ending opposite l an opening in the lower side of the belt, and a separate means for developing spontaneously gas, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. An inflatable life belt made of fabric becoming air prooiin wet state, said life belt comprising in combination separate means for iniiating air and for developing gas and having its side walls sewn together at several convenient points for the purpose of creating` suiiicient stability, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANTON GAREIS. EMILY GAREIS. 

